United States Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 1538 public colleges in the United States with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. Ivy Tech Community College leads the list with a population of 110,710 students.

Enrollment is a measure of the size of the student body. Larger schools are more likely to offer a wider range of programs and services while smaller schools may have a more intimate and personalized experience.

List of United States Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College Enrollment

New York, New York

 9,536

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

 9,501

Pensacola, Florida

 9,491

Evansville, Indiana

 9,488

Batavia, Ohio

 9,479

Wilmington, California

 9,463

Aptos, California

 9,457

New Port Richey, Florida

 9,410

Crystal Lake, Illinois

 9,399

Knoxville, Tennessee

 9,399

Chester, Virginia

 9,380

New Haven, Connecticut

 9,377

Bedford, Massachusetts

 9,374

Valhalla, New York

 9,359

Universal City, Texas

 9,355

Elyria, Ohio

 9,350

San Jose, California

 9,336

Oakland, California

 9,328
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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.